While e-books are currently only a tiny slice of the reading pie, the category's rapid growth and its implications for business were a major focus for Christian publishing executives in Nashville, this week.

Around 150 people representing more than 50 publishers heard how sales of digital books have exploded in the last year and impacted consumer habits, at the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's (ECPA) Executive Leadership Summit, which ended yesterday.

Speakers threw out Webkinz toys and showed clips from movies like Napoleon Dynamite and Juno to illustrate changes in cultural attitudes and the use of technology, during the three-day event. Hosted by B&H Publishing Group, the program went ahead unaffected by the flooding that devastated parts of the city.

Although e-books account for just 3% of all book sales, they signal a "significant change" in moving to a consumer-driven model of business, said Kelly Gallagher, vice president of publisher services for R.R. Bowker, presenting details of research into e-book readers.

Digital sales were not growing the book market but "simply cannibalizing print," Gallagher said, adding that 45% of e-book readers said they were buying fewer hardcovers than they used to, and 42% were buying fewer paperbacks.

The strongest warning came from Michael Drew, founder of publicity firm Promote A Book, who said in his presentation: "If publishers don't change the way they do business, they will not exist in five years." He predicted that within five years, 80% of all books would be sold electronically.

Presentations also looked at piracy, digital rights management and the impact of Google's efforts to put all available books online.

David C. Cook President and CEO Cris Doornbos, the new chairman of ECPA, said that he appreciated the digital focus of the event. "It's a huge issue for us as an industry in terms of how we make the transition. The questions about how, when and how much are very significant for us."

Baker Publishing Group President Dwight Baker said: "Things are changing and we need to understand this as a group because no single company has all the answers." Though digital sales were small, "it's a rapidly changing and highly confusing area so we need wisdom and people coming in to explain" some of the issues, he added.

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